This offensive question must be asked every time a natural disaster like the Christchurch earthquake, strikes and some thoughtless Christian states that God is punishing the city. A sweet little Christian girl happily claimed on the internet that the calamities in Japan were an answer to her prayers against Japanese atheists. Can she not see that if she were right, she would be an accessory to mass murder and her God – a baby killing [...]

I had a chance to chat with Aaron Ironside this morning on the Balanced Breakfast – the morning show on New Zealand’s Rhema. I have been asked to offer a reflection for the Insight slot on Wednesday mornings in the three weeks leading up to Christmas, so I have one to go next Wednesday morning. If you want to hear it, listen in at 7:40am. I thought I would take a chance here to expand [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema. John Wesley once said: “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness.” Often this has been taken to be a reference to action relating to social justice – [...]

Fear brings out the worst in us. A ladybug lands on my hand. “How cute” I think to myself and gently blow it on its way. But if a harmless spider crawls on my arm I freak. I not only flick it off but stomp on it as well. My irrational panic causes a violent, hate- filled reaction. I’m riding on the bus and a young Arabic gentlemen sits down in the seat across from [...]

The following was co-written by Paul Thompson (National Coordinator for Micah Challenge Aotearoa) and me. It can be found on the Micah Challenge Aotearoa (NZ) website. “Poverty Hurts Your Soul” is the title of a new paper published by the Conference of European Churches. They say “In Christian understanding, poverty and social exclusion are understood as a failure to uphold basic human rights (cf. Amos 2:6f; 4:1). The alleviation of poverty was from the beginning [...]

As Haitians suffer the devastation of an earthquake that his ripped apart the lives of many and left an already poor nation crippled even further, it was with sadness that I read the Sunday Star Times article regarding the empires of three prominent Auckland churches, revealing their financial situations and their growing wealth. The suffering of the Haitians and the opulent wealth of the three churches examined in that article may seem disconnected and possibly [...]

The second half of our interview with writer, speaker and kiwi prophet Mick Duncan.

Frank interviews singer/artist/speaker/thinker and all round nice guy Grant Norsworthy about attitudes to giving and Child Sponsorship.

Within Christianity there is a sacrament that acts as an amazing unifier. The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Eucharist, Communion etc) works to unite us with God and with the wider body of Christ – the Church – both past, present and future. The Westminster Confession of Faith says this about the Lord’s Supper:

Ash Wednesday – today – is the first day of Lent, the day we remember our mortality. The church tradition on Ash Wednesday was to mark the foreheads of the faithful with a cross made with a mixture of ash and oil. As the priest imposed this cross he would intone “Remember, O man, that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) This ceremony began the Lenten journey of repentance and self [...]